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Kim Yo Jong, Director of the General Affairs Department of the Workers' Party of Korea. / Yonhap

Regarding the Chairman's Statement adopted by the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), which included the expression "complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," Kim Yo Jong, Director of the General Affairs Department of the Workers' Party of Korea, reaffirmed North Korea's position to continue its line of strengthening nuclear force on July 27, stating, "The nuclear capabilities of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea will be constantly updated without a moment's stagnation."

According to the Korean Central News Agency on this day, Director Kim stated in a press statement, "A pathetic Chairman's Statement distorted the essence of the situation on the Korean Peninsula and babbled about 'complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula' was released," adding, "We resolutely condemn and reject in the sternest terms this explicit hostile attitude that ignores the Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and chimes in with the 'denuclearization' tune sung by the U.S."

Earlier, foreign ministers of the Indo-Pacific region expressed deep concern over North Korea's continued development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs in violation of UN Security Council resolutions through the ARF Chairman's Statement released on July 25 (local time), while emphasizing the importance of resuming peaceful dialogue among the parties concerned. North Korea reacted sensitively even though the nuclear message in the ARF Chairman's Statement was downgraded starting last year from CVID, which means "complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization," to "denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."

Regarding the "denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," Director Kim emphasized that it "has completely lost its meaning conceptually and practically," adding, "The existing situation will never change according to the rhetoric or hopes of any outside force."

In particular, mentioning the constitution that explicitly stipulates the "status of a nuclear-armed state," she criticized that "the attempt of the U.S. and its followers to alter [our status as a nuclear-armed state] with a piece of document that has no legal binding force whatsoever is futile." Such criticism is interpreted in the same context as North Korea's past claims justifying its nuclear possession by linking its constitution, which explicitly states its status as a nuclear-armed state, with the UN Charter containing principles of sovereign equality and non-interference in internal affairs.

Director Kim claimed, "Our position that nuclear deterrence is the ultimate shield of state sovereignty and the highest guarantee for defending national rights is firm and clear," asserting that "our position and significance of existence as a nuclear-armed state are final and irreversible."

Furthermore, Director Kim also expressed her displeasure toward the ASEAN-related foreign ministers' meetings, warning them to "be wary of being usurped as an official mouthpiece for the U.S."

Director Kim has reacted to and lashed out at every single denuclearization message sent by the international community. She also released a statement of condemnation regarding the statement calling for North Korean denuclearization at the Group of Seven (G7) summit last month, and repeatedly asserted the legitimacy of nuclear possession ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to North Korea. Such reactions are analyzed as an intention to prevent North Korean denuclearization from solidifying as a sort of international standard and to strengthen the logic of North Korea's "defensive nuclear possession" using this as a pretext.

                                                                                                            Mok Yong-jae